HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – With a view of the pristine shore of Lake Michigan sits a brand new playground.
The playground was unveiled in a robbon cutting ceremoney today, Wednesday, August 17, by Lake Michigan Credit Union spokeperson Carter Oosterhouse. His non-profit organization Carter’s Kids helped build it.
Oosterhouse is no stranger to Holland. He helped to build a playground at Windmill Island Gardens a few years back. Oosterhouse says building playgrounds comes in all forms.
” We build them in a lot of inner cities for kids and this particular park (Holland State Park) gets 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year. Now look, there’s a great piece of water out there, a humongous beach and that’s fantastic. But having a playground too is important and just as special.” Oosterhouse told WHTC’s Gary Stevens.
Jennifer Owens of Lakeshore Advantage says it’s an interesting story how this campaign was launched. Sally Stark a former school teacher who was always taking her kids to the park felt it was missing one thing, a playground. She started going door-to door to get people to commit and then one day knocked on the door of Lakeshore Advantage. From there they joined forces to raise funds.
A grant matched from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces and Community Places program, got the project off the ground.
Holland State Park is located at 2215 Ottawa Beach Road in Holland.
